games without bullshit.

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I always wanted to write.

I always loved video games.

Alt+F4 is the culmination of these two interests and I am very excited you’ve found it. I believe that the stereotype of the video gamer holed up in a basement and never coming out to see the light of day or interact with others is an overused, outdated, and ultimately inaccurate cliche. When someone is passionate about something, they will be naturally drawn to others who are also passionate about it.

So here goes.

I hope you enjoy what you read and watch on this blog. Feel free to contact me about any questions or comments you have.

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You’re still here for my psychobabble? Very well.

I find that competition is universally understood by humanity, and we consistently define ourselves via a competitive paradigm, either in a me vs. you (PvP) mindset or an us vs. them (PvE) outlook. Therefore, games offer a unique perspective in to the human experience as a codified, thematic subset of this mental reality we all exist within. Simple, yeah? Basically, games teach us about ourselves and our values in a way that can sometimes be clearer than reality, because a game simplifies our interactions with a given environment.

Ah, the environment, which leads me to the next, more significant aspect of video games.

Stories.

For me, the storytelling aspect of a game is not just in the narrative or the dialogue, but in how our perceptions of ourselves and others change and grow as we continue to explore the imagination in our lives. There’s a reason that you don’t see many video games based around working an eight hour day and getting stuck in a traffic jam on your way home. Games tend to be more about dragons, zombies, aliens, professional athletes, fast cars, explosions… You get the idea. And when we place ourselves in a different context, however briefly, we begin to understand ourselves that much more. What kind of person are you? Well, if you’re doing a humdrum job most of the time, it can be difficult to stand out from a crowd of office drones. But when I have an assault rifle in my hands and a battalion of blood